Palo Alto to buy 37 life-saving automated external defibrillators

First responders in Palo Alto are getting a powerful new tool to help save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest.

On Monday night, the city council unanimously approved the $92,500 purchase of 37 automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. The lightweight, portable devices are capable of delivering an electric shock through the chest to the heart to restore normal rhythm.

Squad cars, community centers, athletic fields and many government buildings will be equipped with the devices, according to a city staff report.

"Since our officers are out patrolling our streets day and night, they're often the first on the scene of a medical emergency," said Palo Alto police Chief Dennis Burns.

"We believe that having this portable, life-saving technology deployed throughout the city in our patrol cars will allow our officers to take immediate action in the event of a cardiac emergency."

Every minute of delay decreases a person's chances of survival by 7 to 10 percent, said Stephanie Martinson, cofounder of Racing Hearts, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that advocates for the purchase, placement and training of AEDs in schools, playgrounds and community centers.

"The use of AEDs is critical in the chain of survival during a sudden cardiac arrest because a sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at anytime," she told the city council.

Only 5 percent of people with the condition survive, Martinson said.

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"But we have a simple solution: AEDs everywhere in critical, high-risk locations," she said. "Our success rates can go from the current 5 percent, which has been stable since the 1960s, to 80 to 85 percent."

Martinson said the school district also plans to place the devices on every campus by June 2014.

The city council's decision to purchase AEDs resulted from collaboration between the police and fire departments and Racing Hearts. The funds will come out of the council's contingency fund.

Council Member Liz Kniss acknowledged that there was widespread public support for the devices.

"I have long been a fan of these," Kniss said Monday night. "I totally support doing this and I want the public to know that we heard them. I think it's a wonderful direction to head in."